A Korean man has been arrested in Tokyo for stealing books from bookstores for more than seven years and selling them to secondhand shops, according to Japanese media reports. Police investigations found that he sold over 10,000 items and pocketed more than 50 million won.
According to Mainichi Shimbun and other local media on Monday, the Honjo Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 49-year-old Korean national on November 7. The man was indicted on charges of stealing 15 books worth approximately 319,000 won from a bookstore in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, on August 8 last year.
Police investigations revealed that the man systematically stole from bookstores in the Tokyo area from 2019 to March this year, a period of about seven years and three months, selling over 10,000 items to secondhand shops and pocketing approximately 54.5 million won.
The specific incident occurred around 8:35 p.m. on August 8 last year. The man stole 15 books from a bookstore in Nakano Ward, and the theft was captured by police, triggering the investigation. Police traced transaction records with secondhand shops, which revealed the scale of the man's crimes.
From 2019 through March this year, the man sold a total of 11,334 items. Most were books, although video content such as Blu-ray discs was also included. Sales totaled approximately 54.5 million won (5,829,215 yen). He sold an average of 130 items per month and 1,620 items per year.
During police questioning, the man stated that he "could not remember," and his current address and occupation have not been disclosed. Police are investigating the man's exact identity and possible additional crimes, as well as his transaction network with secondhand shops.
